Asparagus-assorting machine



am. 19 192e. 1,570,409

l D. sToPPEL.

SPARAGUS ASSORTING MACHINE Filed June 23 1925 INVENTOR.

4 n v v Y zy www v ATTORNEY.

Patented Jan. Y19, 1926. .Y

tours c D. suorEIl,.or-f1si4mo1v, GALIFORIA l f nsfgmmusiismme mening;

'Appli-'cation ledlr'iune 23, `Serial v Y I I 'side frame 2 neer its centralpart bya pair Be it known that I, LQIsD. SfroPrEL, aVv of supports 7 isf another threaded axis rod citizen of the United Statesgresiding at 8 onrwhichv are screwed a pluralitysof end Isleton', in the county .of Sacramento-and ijoller'sfthe same being spaced apartand 60V State of California, have invented new and held in place' by nuts similar to thev nutsl useful Improvements lin. Asparagus-Assorting Mclines", of which the' following iSv va Spec'iiication. f jf ffii f This invention relates toi'laiAsparagus.k assfnftingv machines "of the type adapted to whichhold the rollers y5min position onl axis rrod Extending over* the rollers jand Sagre ai plurality of belts 10' Ywhich are actuated-byrollerswhen power isa'pplied'to 65 anfasparagus a'ssorting' machine forseparatp fhos'eheving a larger' ,S1-Ze;

separateth'e' various sizes ofasparagusstewm's into a number ofgfroups.I

AIrobd'Lct of this v'nveition isto provide andI 9" are` a plurality ,of rollers l1 mounted onthrea'ded shafts '12 which are revoglvably secured to supports y134 attached to rameQ a'reposi'tioned on shafts lZand held there-vV onjby'nuts 14%.' TheA rollers Il are' adapted i to hold the Vbelts 1'0 .in place intermediate Ithe rollers andv 9. Secured onlshaft 4 is a pulley 15 which is connected by a belt 16 to 75 Y asimilar' f'pulley 17"?, theulatterbeing attached 'to'k shaft 17 which isl revolvably nucunt-:ed on Vsupports ,18'y underneath belts 10.". Supported on thev` frame 2' .byV supports variousp'groups. I Y M ,Anefhf ebiec'pf thevlevenfweglsorrof vide novel means' for automatically sepa;

rating thesmaller sizevsjparag'fus stems'fronl ing yal quantity 4of Lasparagus, lstemsf into A4 furtfer objectinventiongiszto provide a machine yco1ist'rujtd designed to' a'iitatioalljrgroup Vaspara'gu's' stems accodi'ng'to their sitze. .Y a; fw l i `"nd'ecnomicalfmeans for"v automatically sas'sfofrLtiIiQig y asparagas'"stems 21. over ,which Wilde Abelt. QZgQXtedSuni derneaththe; Vbelts 10, p Th'egbelt. 22`fextends by suitable bolts and nuts." The vI'OTSlly 70" 19I isI shaft 2O 'to ywhichis secured pulley 80 Y overanother pulley 'similar to 'pulley 21v 'v which` is mounted on shaft 17. Thesupp'orts y18 and: .19 areY of sufficient 'y height to cause 85 the belt' toV move 'immediately underneath'V the .belts l0. Ashaft 23 similar toushraft 20 is connectedito the latter by another belt 24,fand another wide 'belt/25 Similar to belt i Y -221is connectedunderneaththe beltsl()r to x90,

shaftsf-:QSi and 261 lShafts26 and Sjare connew@ by be1n1anwhi1ecsraft s, is connected t'SliftLZbY-blelf 3Q?, gj.

ll/jount djo :the frame 2'VA is anV inclined membe'ril to; whi'chfis movablycs'upported 95 in sizeto tholdYa11 quantity of asparagus .stensX Locatedalongithe bottom ofbox.v n

33 nthe insidepthereof is a groovedfpiece lar to; '31.A Supported aroundvthe 35V which supports and `holds pinsv 36 inside l Thepins'': afford a means for prec,-

boX 33 from 105.

vnflielfhe. asparagus, Stems. in

Tliejdista'nceiy between th piece 34 by pin 37". Attached to frame 2 is a supporting member 38 to which is attached guiding irons 39, the ends of which extend into the raised portions of the grooved piece 34 and serve to guide the asarao'us stems assinfr from Urooved iece b C b 34 onto belts 10. Located between wide belts 23 and 25 are receptacles 40, 41 and 42 which are attached to the underneath part of frame 2.

In order to provide a means for permitting the smaller. sized asparagus stems to drop into receptacle 40, a slightly larger size to drop into receptacle 41 and a still larger size to fall into receptacle 42, the rollers 9 are spaced closer together than are rollers 5. The belts 10, extending over the said rollers, are thereby made to assume a slightly diverged position in reference to their location on rollers 9 and rollers 5, thus permitting the larger asparagus stems to be carried along by the said belts and to drop into the said receptacles. The space between the belts 10, above receptacle 40, being comparatively narrow, permits only the smaller asparagus stems to drop into receptacle 40, the larger sizes being carried along by belts 25 and 10 to a point above receptacle 41 where larger size is permitted to drop through the spaces between the belts 10 into receptacle 41, and a still larger size is carried beyond 41 by the said belts to receptacle 42 where a still larger size is permitted to drop through the spaces between belts 10 into the receptacle 42. In the event anv of the asparagus stems are too large for passing through the spaces between the belts 10 at a point above the receptacle 42, they are carried along by the belts to a chute 43 where they drop into another container.

The gradual separation of belts 10 from the guiding irons 39 to the point where they extend above chute 43, enables the asparagus stems to be properly graded according to size, the belts 25 and 22 acting as ameans for assisting the carrying of the larger stems along to the receptacles 41 and 42 located respectively at the ends of the said belts, where they are deposited.

In operation, a quantity of asparagus stems are placed in box 33, and are guided by an operator onto the grooves in grooved piece 34 between pins 36. Suitable power is applied to `pulley 4a, and shafts 4, 17, 20, 23` 26, and 8 are made to revolve through the belts attached thereto. The eccentric motion delivered to the grooved piece 34 by shaft 29 and bar 37a shakes them down the inclined grooved piece 34 to the end thereof, where they fall onto belts 10. The smallest of the stems fall through the spaces between .Y belts 10 into receptacle 40, and the larger ones are carried along by the said belts 10 kto belt 2.5, which, together with belts 10,

carries them to a point above receptacle 41, where stems of a larger size are permitted to drop between the spaces between the belts 10 into receptacle 41. Stems of a still larger size, not being permitted t0 drop into receptacle 41 are carried by belts 10 and 22 to a point above receptacle 42, into which another size of the stems drop. If any of the stems are too large to pass between the spaces between the belts 10 at this point, the same are carried along by belts 10 to the chute 43 through which they pass.

Having described my invention, what I claim is:

l. An asparagus assorting machine, comprising a frame, a plurality of rollers re-I volvably secured to the frame, a plurality of separated belts extending over the rollers for carrying asparagus stems, a plurality of belts extending entirely transversely underneath the first named belts and over a plurality of rollers revolvably secured to the frame, for carrying some of the larger asparagus stems along and for preventing them from falling between the separated belts at certain intervals, a plurality of containers attached to the frame and located beneath the first named belts, means for delivering asparagus stems to the upper surface of the first named belts, and means for moving the said belts and rollers.

2. An asparagus assorting machine, comprising a frame, a pluralityV of separa-ted rollers revolvably attached to the frame, a plurality of belts extending over the rollers whereby asparagus stems may be carried thereby, a plurality of belts located at inter'- mediate distances beneath the first named belts and extending over rollers revolvably attached to the frame whereby some of the larger asparagus stems are prevented from falling between the first mentioned belts, and a plurality of receptacles located beneath the first mentioned belts. at points between the second mentioned belts. Y Y

3. An asparagus asserting machine, comprising a frame having a motor driven shaft revolvably attached thereto, a plurality of separated rollers attached to the shaft and having a plurality of belts extending over the same and over the rollers, whereby asparagus stems may be carried, means for guiding asparagus stems onto the first mentioned belts, and a plurality of belts each located at stated intervals beneath the first mentioned belts and operated by the powerdriven shaft, whereby some of the asparagus stems are carried along and prevented from dropping between the first mentioned belts.

4. An asparagus assorting machine, com.- prising a frame having a driving shaft ro.- tatably secured thereto, a plurality of sep.- arated rollers secured to the shaft and connected to a plurality of similar rollers by a Plural'ty .of Separeted belts, e plurality I of belts located `at Yspecified intervals beneath the iirst named belts and actuated by the driving shaft, whereby asparagus stems of certain size are prevented from falling" between the separated belts, meansfor delivering. asparagus stems intoy the Y `first named belts, and means locatedvintermediate the second named belts for collecting asparagus stems passing betweenthe spaces betweenthe iirst named belts. Y

- 5. An asparagus assortlng machine, comprising a Jframe having a driving shaft ro- 6. A n asparagus asserting machine, co1n. prising a frame having a driving shaft r0- tatably secured thereto, a plurality-of sepa-` rated belts actuated by the Y, driving shaft wherebyV asparagus stems may be carried, a plurality of belts located atspecified intervals beneath thev belts for preventing some ofthe asparagus stems from passing through the spaces between the belts, and for assisting the carrying of them along, and means for deliverlng asparagus stems to the'belt's.

7. An asparagus asserting machine comprising a frame having va plurality of rollers lrotatably attached thereto, a plurality of separated belts extending overl the rolliied intervals beneath the first-named belts for preventing asparagus stems from passing throughthe spaces located between the belts at the said intervals, means for collecting asparagus stemsfdroppingthrough the spaces between the belts, and means for actuating the belts.

V8. An asparagus asserting machine, comprising a frame having a plurality of moveable separatedsbelts attached thereto, whereby asparagus stem's'rmay be carried, a plurality lof beltsmoveably located at specified intervalsVV on the frame beneath thev first named belts `for preventing asparagus stems `from dropping through the spaces between the belts', ymeans vfor delivering asparagus. Vstemsto the belts, and meansy for actuating `f the belts, the -iirst `named means and the last f named'means. A y,

9.V An asparagus `asserting vmachineV comprising a frame havingl means for delivering' asparagus stems yto a plurality. of separated belts moveably-attach'ed to the frame,

fied intervals on the frame for preventing asparagus stems fromdropping through the spaces between the belts and for assisting ers wherebyasparagus stems may be carried,

Ia plurality of moveable belts located at specia plurality of moveable belts located at specitheconveyance of the asparagus stems by the belts, andmeans for actuating the belts and i the :means v i n f LOUIS D. STOPPEL.V 

